Clamping device



. Aug.' 7, .1945.

CLAMPING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1942 FIG. l

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INVENTOR HAROLD CAST/MN BYX ATTORNEY FIGA.

Patented Aug. 7, 1.945 l v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE oLAMHNGnEvIoE imola Eastman, college Peint, N. Y. Application September 5, 1942, Serial No. 457,508 6 claims.' (c1. :a4-244) This invention relates to clamping devices, and

more especially to automatic clamping means.

'In'its broadest aspects it is an'object of the invention to provide an improved clamping device that permits an article to move in one direction, but grips the article fast when it starts to move in the other direction. Such clamping devices are useful for a wide variety of purposes, including clutchesA in various kinds of feed `mechanisms. L

The invention will be described, however, as embodied in a clamping device for supporting brooms, mops, and tools, or the like in a. hanging position along a wall, door, or bulkhead.

The invention comprises a roller confined between a steeply inclined surface and the handle or other article'that is to be clamped. The roller in traveling along the inclined surface is thrust against the article to be clamped and forces it against a fixed bearing or holder. Ordinarily the iixed holder is a part of the clamping device, but sometimes it is a bearing or support to which the roller and the inclined surface are connectedas an attachment. The

relation of the elements can be reversed so that the clamping device is movable into dierent positions on a fixed article or support.

similar but ydown-turned end I6, for connecting the frame to a wall I1 or other support. The frame can be held with only two screws by punching-the metal to form prongs I9 in the ends I5 and I6. These prongs are made sharp enough so that they can be hammered into the wall I1 and will keep the ends I5 and I6 from turning about center screws 2I and 22, respectively, when a single center screw is used to connect each of the ends I5, 'I6 to the wall. If the frame is made without the prongs I9, two screws can be used to hold each of the ends '15,

I6. The advantage of connecting each end I5- inclined inner face of the connecting part I3,

jams the handle 25 against the back wall of each of the openings 24. Downward pull on the handle 25 tends'to roll the roller 26 further down the inclined inner face of the connecting partl I3,

Among the advantages of the invention are its simplicity, and the fact ythat it is economical to. manufacture and convenient to. use.

Other objects, features and advantages of 4the invention will appear or be pointed out as the specication proceeds.

In the accompanying hereof: l

Fig; 1 is a sideelevation of a clamping device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the clamping device viewed from the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1.

drawing, forming a part Fig. A3 is a top plan view ofv the device shown in Figs..1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig..5 is a view, on a -reduced scale, showing a modied form of the invention.

*.The device shown in Figs. 1-4' has a frame that vincludes an upper portion II, a lower portion I2, and an inclinedconnecting'part I3. The 'frame is preferably of integral construction and can be advantageously made ofsheet metal. The drawing shows a sheet-metal construction with theedges 'ofthe metalbent over to form beads or flanges I4 that stiften the frame.

' The upper portion II of the frame has an upturned end I6,.and the lower portion I2 has a and causes the roller to jam the handle 25 against the back of each of the openings 24 with greater force. c

The handle 25 is thus locked against downward movement, but can be pushed up to any desired higher level and it will be automatically locked at such'level. The handle 25 can be released at any time by merely pushing the roller 26 up-the inclined face. A button 21 is provided for raising the roller to withdraw it from the handle-A 25or other article against which it may be clamped. The button 21 is secured to the lower'end of a `stem 28 that extends through a hole in thelower portion I2 of the frame, and

Various materials are suitable for the roller l 26. Oneimportant consideration is that it must be strong enough so that it will not collapse or crush under the load imposed upon it when wedged between the inclined face of the connecting part I3 and the handle of a heavy article. On the other hand,` the roller should not be so hard as tov resist all deformation or its contact with the handle 25 will be too small to obtain sufficient friction to prevent the handle from slipping on the roller. Good results have .been ob' tained with'V cork' rollers,l but I preferI to use a l wooden roller with a rubber cover. Fig. 4 shows the roller constructed with a wooden core 3l and a rubber cover 32 that has a corrugated outside surface.

jects for a short distance beyond the ends of the roller 26.

'I'he roller 26 is retained in the clamping device by the projecting ends of the pin 35 that strike against the inturned edges 34 to limit rearward displacement of the roller 26 when there is no handle 25 or other article in the device for the roller 26 to clamp against. Endwise displacement of the roller 26 may be limited by having the ends of the pin 35 strike Iagainst the side walls 33, or when a shorter pin is used, by letting the ends of the roller 26 contact with the ends of inturned edges 34, as in the illustrated construction.

With any given size of openings 24, the range of size of handles or other articles that the device can hold is limited by the component of fore and aft (horizontal) movement of the roller 26 during its travel from one end to the other of the inclined inner face of the connecting part I3 of the frame.

In order to increase the range of size of articles for which the clamping device is suitable, the` embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing is provided with filler plates 31 for reducing the size of the openings 24. Each iiller plate 31 preferably has an arcuate recess. at one end corresponding with the shape cf the opening 24, but other shapes can be used The plate 31 is somewhat wider than the opening 24 and extends across the rearward side of the opening. 'Ihere is a tab 38 projecting downward from each end of each of the filler plates 31, and these tabs project into holes 39 and are preferably bent under to secure the ller plate in position. 'I'here is a row of holes 39 in the upper and lower portions II, l2 at each end of the filler plates 31. The tabs 33 of the filler plates are inserted in diierent ones of these holes 39, depending upon the size of handle withA which the device is intended to be used.

Fig. 3 shows in dotted lines 31 the position that the front face of the filler plate 31 would occupy if the tabs 38 of the filler plate had been put one hole further forward in the rows of holes 3.3. With the filler plate in such a position the clamping device could be usedv for clamping a handle 40, which is of much smaller diameter than the handle 25.

Fig. shows a modified form of the invention. A'T-stand 4| includes a base 42 with an upstanding sleeve 43 'in which a stem 44 of the T-stand slides to adjust the height of the cross-bar 45 of the stand. When such a. stand is equipped with a set-screw for holding the stem 44 at the desired height, as in the prior art, it 'has been necessary to release the set-screw every time the height sliding in the sleeve. The long bearing in the sleeve 43 takes the place of the bearing surfaces that are provided by the rearward sides of the openings 24 above and below the roller in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4.

Other modifications can be made and the clamping device can be used for various purposes.

'I'he position of the parts is inverted .when the frame that carries the roller is the vertically movable element on an upright that is fixed, but otherwise similar to the handle 25. Some features of the invention can be used without others.l

I claim:

1. A clamping device including a frame having upper and lower portions with alined openings for receiving the element to be clamped, and having a connecting part joining the forward ends of said upper and lower portions, the upper portion of the frame being longer than the lower sheet-metal frame having an upper portion that is generally horizontal and that bends downward at its forward end to form a connecting part of the frame, said connecting part being bent forward at its lower end to form a generally horizontal lower portion of the frame, the upper and lower portions .of the frame having aligned openings for receiving an element .to be clamped,

the upper portion being longer than the lower portion so that the connecting part is inclined and forms acute and obtuse angles with said upper and lower portions respectively, a roller that rolls up and down the inclined surface of the connecting part of the frame, side walls formed by turned-up extensions of said connecting part, and turned-in edges of the side walls for retaining the roller in the frame.

3. A clamping device comprising a one-piece sheet-metal frame having upper and lower portions that areV generally parallel and through which are alined openings for receiving an element to be clamped, a connecting part joining the forward ends of the upper and lower portions of the frame, said connecting part having an inclined wall forming acute and obtuse angles with said upper and lower portions respectively, a cylindrical roller comprising a wooden core, a rubber coverV on said core, and axial extensions projecting from either end of the roller, and generally vparallel side walls formed by turned-up extensions of said inclined wall positioned just beyond vthe ends of the axial extensions of the roller, said side walls having turned-in edgesV with which the axial extensions of thev roller contact'to limit movement of the roller away from the inclined surface, said pperand lower portions of the frame serving as abutments for limiting the up and down movement of the roller, said roller being of such diameter that. it` just4 reaches to the space between the alined openings when' the roller is against the inclined wall and in a position intermediate the ends ofsaid inclined wall, and filler means on-v the sides-of `relier Vthat has a diameter greater than the eussaid .openings away from the rollerfor varying vtance from the stem to the lower endA of the the size of said openings.

4. A clamping devicer comprising a housing, one Wall of which has an inclined surface, a cylindricalv roller that' moves along the inclined surface, yaxial extensions projecting fromeither end ofthe roller, side Walls on the housing .extending up from the vinclined surface just beyoncl the ends ofthe axial extensions for limiting longitudinal displacement of the roller, and rearward Walls extending for a limited distance Afrom the rearward endsof the side walls, said rearward walls extending across the back.l of the axial extensions of the roller to limit movement of the roller away from the inclined surface.

5. A clamping'deviceincluding a bracket for vconnection with the upper end ofv an elongated bearing in Which'a stem slides,y a housing connectingv with the bracket vand having a wall that extends upward at an incline away from the stem, top and bottom walls lat the upper and.r lower endsrespectively 'of the .inclined Wall, a

inclinedwall but less than the distance from the stem tothe upper end of the rinclined Wall,

l,and sidewalls on the housing at opposite ends of the roller for holding the roller against endl rwise displacement.

yis held, said housing having an inclined wall on which the roller rolls up and down, side Walls formed by turned-up extensions of thevinclined Wall for limiting endWise displacement of the als( roller, upperr and lower horizontal walls similarly .formed by turned-up extensions of the inclined wall, at least one of said horizontal Walls extending rearwardly and forming a connection for holding the roller housing in a definite spaced relation Ato a bearing `through which the .article to be clamped extends. f n

HAROLD EASTMAN. 

